


Lost in the Woods

by dontoverthinkthis



Category: The Aquabats! Super Show!
Genre: Aquabats Rules, F/M, Floating Timelines, Found Family, Friendship, Journey of Self Discovery, Lost in the Woods, Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:53:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24855655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dontoverthinkthis/pseuds/dontoverthinkthis
Summary: Katie fears she’s outlived her usefulness to the Aquabats and that she's lost herself, so she temporarily leaves.
Relationships: EagleBones Falconhawk/Kaitlin "Katie" Crush
Kudos: 1
Collections: Katie and The Aquabats





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I love Lost in the Woods by Jonathan Groff. And I’m in an angst mood. Is this angst? Also note that due to the wacky, wonderful timeline of the Aquabats, it’s Super Show, but it’s got Lost in the Woods. Hey it’s called Aquabats have times you’re not used to. I don’t make the rules.

The clock ticks by and Katie wonders if she should just stop torturing herself by staring it at for so long. She’s been alone for a couple of hours now, because the Aquabats received an emergency signal about an out-of-control fettucini monster downtown and are taking care of it. Of course they used the BattleTram, but for her safety (and keep the Tram at a minimal mess), they’d parked it very far away. She just hopes they’ll be able to find it when it’s all over (especially with the Commander’s horrific sense of direction). Katie sighs and lays back on her bed. She’s very aware of how ordinary she is. She doesn’t have any special skills or powers, and she worries her position in the group is nearing its end.

Lately, all the Aquabats have been getting more independent or self-reliant. Ricky’s making grocery lists, trips and jogging on his own, the Commander is actually cleaning up after himself after meals and battles, and so on. They’re all even taking turns in the kitchen at mealtimes and setting up for soundcheck on their own! Katie knows she should be glad, and she is, but...if they can do all this for themselves, that means she doesn’t have a purpose in the group. All she is is the band’s assistant. 

She’s not a musician, not since fifth grade music class, but she feels a song in her heart and she opens her mouth to let it out. It’d be rude not to. 

“Again you’re gone,  
Off on a different path than mine,   
I’m left behind,  
Wondering if I should follow…” Katie sings, sitting up. She should be used to being left behind, but that’s only some of the time. She’s usually present for the adventures the Aquabats have. They just don’t want any unnecessary injury, including her. But that doesn’t stop her from wanting to go with them. 

“You had to go  
And of course that’s always fine,  
I probably could catch up with you tomorrow…” Of course she’d see them, and it wouldn’t even be tomorrow. Hour or two, most likely. 

“But is this what it feels like,   
To be growing apart?   
When did I become the one  
Who’s always chasing your hearts?” Katie sings, sliding off her bed and to her feet. Indeed, these days feel like she’s always trying to get the Aquabats to remember her and how she’s there for them. So why doesn’t it feel like that?

“Now I turn around and find,  
I am lost in the woods!  
North is south, right is left  
When you’re gone!” Katie was hired because the band needed her. Now, she’s the one who needs them. 

“I’m the one who sees you home,  
But now I’m lost in the woods!  
And I don’t know  
What path you are on…  
...I’m lost in the woods.” Wherever the Aquabats may need or be, she’s always there, ready to help. But she can’t hold back her fears that she’s growing out of her usefulness to them and very soon they won’t need her anymore. The feeling stings.

“Up till now,  
The next step was a question of how,  
I never knew it could be  
A question of whether…” Katie’s very position in the Aquabats is HOW. How are they going to get lunch? How will Crash get his bedtime story? How much battery does Jimmy have? But now that they’re getting more reliant on themselves instead of her, she’s confronting the very question of whether or not they actually need her around.

“Who am I,  
If I’m not your gal,  
Who am I,   
If we’re not together?” Katie belts, startling herself with both her surprisingly impressive singing and her own question, which startles her into stopping her song. Who is Katie Crush without the Aquabats? She lived without them for most of her life, but now that she’s with them, just who is she? Feeling overwhelmed, she takes a seat at the table and thinks, critically, of who she is.

“Am I really just the Aquabats’ assistant, instead of my own person?” Katie asks herself. When she can’t immediately, confidently answer that, she’s frightened, and stands up. “I have to go,” she says to herself, and runs to her bedroom. Grabbing a travel suitcase, she stuffs three of her outfits in it before zipping it up. Before she’s out the door with her suitcase and what money she’s saved up, she stops and realizes she should formally tell the Aquabats she’s quitting. But since they’re busy at the moment…

Approximately an Hour and a Half Later…!

The Aquabats pile into the BattleTram, exhausted and messy from the battle but happy and satisfied. 

“Great work, Aquabats! We have saved the city from that delicious evil!” the Commander says to his team of superheroes happily. 

“I don’t like being messy, but I guess it’s okay in this case!” Ricky smiles.

“We’ll have to clean the Tram after we all shower, though,” Jimmy says thoughtfully, “it could stain, or worse, somebody could trip and get hurt!”

“I don’t want to get hurt!” Crash whines, and Ricky sympathetically pats his shoulder. 

EagleBones glances around, noticing Katie hasn’t come out to greet them. “Hey, guys, where’s Katie?” he asks, and the group silences upon noticing the guitarist is correct. Their assistant isn’t rushing to greet or fuss over them or praise them for their newest triumph.

“Katie? Where are you?” Crash calls, before his face warps in fear. “Oh no! You don’t think the spaghetti monster ate her, do you?!”

“She was in the BattleTram the whole time, Crash,” EagleBones rolls his eyes, “the monster didn’t even see her.”

“Then, where is she?” the Commander asks. 

“Commander! Look what I found!” Jimmy announces, rushing up to the group with a piece of paper. “It’s a message! In Katie’s penmanship!”

“What’s it say, Jimmy?” the Commander asks as they all crowd around the robot keyboardist/saxophonist, trying to read the note.

“It says, ‘Dearest Aquabats,” Jimmy begins, “‘I formally resign as your assistant for the following reasons. I notice you are accomplishing more without my help, and I feel I am going to be a hindrance to you from now on. You have all shown you do not require my help or need me. Secondly, I realized that I’m not sure who I am anymore, and I need to find out. Though I adore being your assistant, I cannot see myself as anything outside of that, so I need to rediscover who I am. Who Kaitlin Crush is. I love you all dearly. Please take care of yourselves, and may our paths cross again one day. With all my love, Kaitlin “Katie” Crush’.” 

The Aquabats are left in stunned silence. Katie doesn’t know who she is anymore outside of their assistant? She feels like she’s a bother?

Crash is the first to react. He sniffles loudly and big tears roll down his cheeks. “Katie’s gone!” He cries in despair. 

The Commander, always the first to be reassuring, pats Crash’s shoulder as he absorbs the information on the paper. “No, no, Crash, she’s not gone, she’s just…uh, misunderstood?” He tries, but he can’t explain it either. Of course he can’t, Katie explained it for him and everyone else but he doesn’t know if he can accept it. 

“Misunderstood?” Ricky repeats, looking down sadly. “She said she doesn’t know who she is anymore.” 

“Or that she feels like a bother,” EagleBones adds. “Why didn’t she tell us any of this?” 

Jimmy looks at his family, all with sad faces and heavy hearts as his emotional scanners read. (Their hearts are all of a perfectly normal weight relative to their sizes.) He’s a robotic, loving protector of mankind. Despite being a robot, he feels the same sadness as the rest of them. He was unaware of Katie’s feelings about herself and her situation until she stated so in her note of resignation, as they all were. Still, he feels like he should have known. Looking upon his family, his logic-geared brain comes up with a solution. “Why don’t we look for her?” Jimmy suggests, and they all look at him, prodding him for further explanation. “Katie couldn’t have gotten far, correct? That means we have a better chance of finding her.” 

“Yeah!” Crash immediately brightens at Jimmy’s suggestion. “Let’s find Katie and bring her back!” 

“Hold on, you two,” EagleBones lifts his hand, “I want to find Katie, too, but...maybe it’s better if we let her go.”

Crash gasps. “What?! Why?!”

“If she needs to find herself, and she can’t do that with us around, then we’d be a hindrance to HER,” EagleBones points out. It hurts having to let go of the one he loves, but he went on a quest of self-discovery and he did it alone. It was better for him that way, and it’ll be best for Katie too.

“But, she’s all alone, and she probably doesn’t have a lot of money,” Crash points out, on the verge of tears again. 

“Katie can take care of herself, Crash,” Ricky reminds him gently. “She’s lived without us for most of her life. This isn’t different.” He agrees with EagleBones, and while he’ll miss Katie very much it’s best she does this for herself and rediscovers who she is. He wishes she didn’t feel like a bother to them. She could never be!

“But I want to find Katie!” Crash cries, tears dripping down his face as Jimmy nods in support of Crash’s position. 

EagleBones glances at the Commander. “Commander, what should we do?” the guitarist asks, and all eyes go to the singer.

The Commander is oddly quiet, thinking of what should be done. On Crash and Jimmy’s side, he wants to find Katie and bring her back, and work on making sure she never feels like she’s a bother to them ever again. She’s brought nothing but sunshine and joy to the Aquabats since she became their assistant. She’s the unofficial sixth Aquabath for crying out loud!

But, EagleBones and Ricky made excellent points. Though she’s the youngest of them, Katie is an adult, and she’s been without them for most of her life. She’s easily capable of taking care of herself. And if she can’t separate her individual identity from that of being their assistant, that’s not the Aquabat way! Aquabats are individuals! That’s what makes them such a good team!

The Commander sighs. “We need to let go of Katie,” he says with finality and his heart breaks at Crash’s tears. “She needs to discover who she is, and has to do that on her own.” EagleBones and Ricky nod solemnly, and go to console Crash. “C’mon, Aquabats. Let’s turn in for the night. It’ll be better in the morning.” Ricky and EagleBones guide Crash to the bunks, leaving the Commander and Jimmy alone. Commander looks at his robot pal. “It hurts, but it’s the right thing to do,” he says sadly, and Jimmy nods, patting his shoulder before walking to his lab.

Nobody said a word when they found Crash sleeping in Katie’s too-small bed the next morning.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie's journey begins.

Katie walks along the street. Luckily, the Aquabats’ latest adventure was close by a major city, which means she didn’t have to do the whole ‘melancholy walk down a highway’ thing. That said, she’s pretty sad. She just left her friends, and she already misses them. She spent the night in a motel and ate a fast food breakfast. 

“What am I going to do?” Katie asks herself on a park bench, watching the citizens go about their mornings. Admittedly, her plans of finding herself haven’t been very well thought out. She’s only got a couple hundred dollars and three changes of clothes. Plus, she’s in a city she’s not very familiar with and has nowhere to go or sleep, since she checked out of the motel this morning. An idea suddenly hits her, and she gets to her feet. “Of course! How could I forget, I need a job!” Adjusting the hold on her travel case, she talks a walk through the city, scanning places that advertise job openings. Quickly, she finds what she’s looking for: a help wanted sign on a restaurant! She has quite the restaurant experience; her mother owns one, after all, and she spent much of her young life working for her mother’s restaurant. She heads inside, and sees there’s an outdoor section. (Should have headed around, Katie!)

Katie’s startled, and yelps “Who’s there?!”

“I am,” a voice says, and Katie looks in the direction of it. A young woman of about her age, and she’s quite pretty. She has long, orange-red hair tied up in a ponytail, and wears a black graphic t-shirt with a red midi velvet skirt and Doc Martens. 

“Oh, hi,” Katie smiles, offering her hand. “I’m here for your job offer?”

“Ah, yes, thank you,” the woman smiles back, shaking Katie’s hand. “Come with me, we’ll do your interview.” 

“Wait, are you the owner?” The woman nods again.

“I am. My name is Luna,” she says. “What’s yours?” 

“I’m Katie, it’s nice to meet you, Luna.” 

“Same to you.” Luna and Katie settle into a booth. “Now, Katie, do you have any prior restaurant experience?” Luna asks, throwing back her hair and opening a notebook.

“I do. My mother owns a restaurant, and I worked for her for some years.”

“What did you do?” 

“I was a waitress for most of it, but when I got older, I would sometimes step behind the grill. I would also make milkshakes! I’m pretty good at that.” 

“Milkshakes, we don’t have those,” Luna says, writing something down as Katie gasps. 

“What? Milkshakes, my dear ma’am, are the backbone of any restaurant!” Katie cries passionately and Luna stares at her for a second before bursting out into laughter.

“I like your passion,” the owner says. “Okay, we’ll think of that. Now, what’s the reason for your application here?”

“I just left my last job, and I’m looking for myself,” Katie answers honestly.

“Why did you leave your last job?” Luna asks curiously, looking at Katie. “And how are you looking for yourself?” She smiles kindly, putting Katie at ease.

“My last job and my sense of self meshed together,” Katie replies honestly, “and as much as I loved it, I took a look at myself yesterday and realized that I couldn’t tell who I was anymore. So for myself I left, and that’s why I’m here.”

Luna reaches over and pats Katie’s hand comfortingly. “I understand,” the red-headed woman assures the brunette. “That’s why I moved from my hometown here. I needed to find myself.”

“And avoid being defined by your relationships?” Katie finishes, and Luna nods, squeezing Katie’s hand, and Katie reciprocates. 

“Definitely.” Luna smiles and lets go of her hand. “Well, that settles it, you’ve got to work here!”

“Do I have the job?” 

“You do! Welcome to Despereaux!” Katie grins and shakes Luna’s hand enthusiastically. Luna looks Katie up and down, and a grin forms on her face. “Katie, you are gorgeous.”

A blush forms on Katie’s face and she smiles softly. “I, thank you-”

“And your clothes are adorable,” Luna continues, “but, you’re on a journey of self discovery right?”

“That’s right?”

“Well, here at Despereaux, there’s a style, and since you’re looking for yourself, will you let me take you shopping?”

“Oh my gosh, I would love to! But I don’t think I have enough money, plus, I still need to find a place to stay...”

Luna has an ability. She’s an excellent judge of character, and she senses Katie’s pureness and good heart. She knows this chick she just hired for her restaurant is a genuine person, and wants to help her out, like the help she’s been given in the past.

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about any of that! Shopping is on me, and you can stay with me until you find a place of your own!”

Katie gasps softly and she can’t help hugging her new boss/friend, and Luna happily reciprocates the hug. “Thank you, Luna, you’re so kind!”

“Katie, when you have been given help and second chances like me, you pay it forward." Luna tugs on her new employee/friend’s arm. “C’mon. Time for some shopping!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Aquabats aren't doing well without Katie.

It’s been a week since Katie left and the Aquabats are struggling. Not with chores or work but without Katie. There’s a notable absence. At mealtimes and at concerts and all the time, and it’s because there’s no Katie where there should be Katie. 

All of the Aquabats miss her terribly. The MC Bat Commander misses his protege of Almost Awesome, especially when he’s beaten a monster with the rest of his group or when he’s playing video games. Ricky misses his health conscious exercise partner and her advice when it came to wooing women. Jimmy misses the conversations they used to have and how she would always be the first to credit or acknowledge him, plus how she helped him understand humans. Crash and EagleBones feel Katie’s absence the most. Crash misses how she would watch movies with him, read him stories, and always be there to soothe his fears or encourage him. EagleBones misses her when he’s playing guitar (which takes up most of his waking hours) and how she loves to dance and how she brings him back down to earth when his ego gets the best of him. The Aquabats miss Katie’s sunshiney, sweet personality and how she makes the best of everything, finds the positive in every situation, and how she brings out the best in all of them. 

They’re sitting around the primary room of the BattleTram. The Commander is playing his video game, EagleBones is playing guitar, Jimmy’s on the computer, Ricky is eating an apple and Crash is painting. The only sounds that can be heard are the beeps of the Commander’s video game, EagleBones’ fingers on his guitar, and the taps of Jimmy’s fingers on the keyboard’s keys. Nobody makes a sound until there’s a loud sniffle from Crash, which triggers the band’s protective instinct over him. 

“What’s wrong, big fella?” the Commander asks, pausing his video game and going over to his friend, patting his shoulder.

“I miss Katie!” Crash cries, tears streaming down his face.He throws down his painting supplies and runs out of the room. His friends all shoot concerned glances at each other before running after their bassist. No sooner then they’re all outside, Crash screams “GETTING EMOTIONAL!” and grows to enormous height. Tears continue to drop down his face, and one crashes onto the BattleTram, soaking the windshield.

“At least we don’t have to clean it,” the Commander says sheepishly as giant-Crash sits on the ground in sadness. The Aquabats crowd around their friend. 

“I miss Katie,” the bass player repeats, wiping at his eyes.

“I do too, big guy,” the Commander agrees, patting Crash’s shin. 

“It feels wrong not having her here,” Ricky nods, leaning against Crash’s leg. 

“It’s like there’s something missing,” Jimmy adds. “Like something is out of place.”

EagleBones doesn’t say anything. He misses Katie a lot, and he feels lost without her. Sure, she came into his life and that of his friends when he was well-established within the band, but it’s undeniable that Katie made her place in the group. Since EagleBones can’t talk with his mouth, he decides to talk with his guitar, and strums a familiar chord. The Aquabats glance at him in surprise before they understand immediately. Music is a language everybody understands. Crash shrinks to regular size, the band’s instruments come out of nowhere, and they begin to play.

“Again you’re gone,   
Off on a different path than ours,  
We’re left behind  
Wondering if we should follow…” The Commander sings, and they all think of Katie. How she left on her own path, and even though they agreed (even Crash reluctantly so) that she should do that, they miss her, and want to see her again.

“You had to go,  
And of course it’s always fine,  
We probably could catch up with you tomorrow…” Uncertainty is a foreign word to the Aquabats. In a world of change, they know they’ll always have each other and be the thing that stays the same for each other. But now that Katie’s not here anymore, they don’t know when they’ll see her next. She’s always been there, and now she isn’t.

“But it is this what it feels like,  
To be growing apart?  
When did we become the ones,  
Who are always chasing your heart?” Katie was hired by them, for help. But they long ago realized that her role evolved to more than just their assistant. She became part of the family, and family is the most important thing to the Aquabats. And the sad fact is Katie still believed she was simply their assistant, and once they ‘proved’ they didn’t need her for work, she left. 

“Now we turn around and find,  
We are lost in the woods!  
North is south, right is left,  
When you are gone!” Now that Katie’s quit, it throws them in for a loop. She’s family, and her absence is like missing an organ in the great body of the Aquabats. You need all your organs to live! And now that she’s gone, there’s uncertainty. 

“We’re the ones who see you home,  
But we are lost in the woods!  
And we don’t know,  
What path you are on…” Katie’s home is-or was with the Aquabats. But now, she’s not with them, and they don’t know what she’s going to do. She intends to find herself, they know, but is doing it without them.

“Up till now,  
The next step was a question of how,  
We never knew it could be  
A question of whether…” How is practically the Aquabats’ motto. How are they gonna save the world? How is the concert going to be for the night? How much money for that meat lover's supreme pizza? And the last ‘how’ was about Katie. How is she going to find herself? Now it’s a question of whether or not they will accept her absence and move on. Accept a Katie-free life.

“Who are we,  
If we’re not your guys,  
Who are we,  
If we’re not together?! Forever?” The Aquabats know one thing is for certain-their love for each other. They are a family first, musicians and crime fighters second, and pizza lovers second and a half. And Katie made her place. She’s family, but due to a misunderstanding, simply believed herself to be their assistant, and couldn’t find herself. Individuality is number two next to family. Katie lost sight of her own uniqueness, and that’s partly their fault too. 

The Aquabats stop the song as the realization hits them. “We gotta find Katie,” they say in unison.

“It’s time we acted like proper family!” The Commander exclaims, sticking his finger in the air as usual. “We need to find Katie!”

“And remind her she’s special!” Jimmy approves.

“And tell her we miss her very much!” Ricky adds.

“And hug her so tight her eyes pop out! Then we put them back in!” Crash cheers, excited by the prospect of finding and seeing Katie again.

“Where do we start looking? She could be anywhere by now!” EagleBones points out. He too is excited by the new decision, but nobody knows where she could be. It’s been a week since her departure after all, and a week could be plenty of time for her to be far away. The Aquabats pause and think of it. 

“I knew I should have chipped her,” Jimmy sighs. “We could easily track Katie’s location if she were chipped.”

“Um, Jimmy? That’s nice, and true, but Katie isn’t a pet, she’s a person,” Ricky explains. “You can’t just chip her.”

“Maybe Jimmy’s right, Ricky,” the Commander hums in consideration. “If Katie were chipped, we would have found her by now!”

“Commander, Jimmy, I’m just as desperate to find Katie as the rest of us, but we aren’t going to chip her,” EagleBones says firmly. “That’d be a violation of her human rights!”

“Well how are we going to find Katie if she hasn’t eaten any chips or without violating her human rights?” Crash asks. “And speaking of chips, I’m starving!”

“I am too! You can’t think on an empty stomach! Aquabats, let’s find somewhere to eat! Our thinking skills will be vastly improved when we eat, bringing us closer to Katie!” The Commander orders, and the Aquabats cheer as the pile into the BattleTram. “Now, where do we eat?”

“Commander, there’s a restaurant in the last city we played called Desperaeux!” Jimmy says, pointing to his temple. “And it’s a short drive away!”

“What are we waiting for? Start driving, robot!” 

(Look out, Aquabats! You’re about to find Katie much sooner than you think!)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Realizations!

A week in, Katie is enjoying her tentative new life. Luna is wonderful to her, her job pays decently, and the customers are lovely. The city has a great nightlife, and Luna’s been showing her around. She enjoys the music scene and the late night bakery. And she’s also enjoying her new clothes. 

Katie typically wears vintage or cute clothing, and while she likes wearing these kinds of outfits very much, she thought it was time for a change. Luna was very happy to help, and she’s currently trying out more “edgy” fashions. Crop tops, tight pants, combat boots, the like. Today, she’s wearing a sleeveless grey graphic crop t-shirt, black skinny jeans, and black combat boots. With Luna’s help, she’s also dyed the ends of her hair purple. It makes her feel wild, free, and she loves it.

She’s (re)discovering things about herself. She loves bacon more than life itself, and prefers milkshakes to smoothies. Her favorite genres of film are musical and horror, and it’s been a distressingly long time since she’d last read a work of Shakespeare. She rediscovered her childhood fascination with Pocahontas and the Addams Family and remembers how she wanted to have Morticia and Gomez’s romance when she was young. Her favorite times of day are 10, 2, and 4, and she takes tea with more sugar than should be allowed. (It’s because she prefers hot chocolate.) And her favorite musical genres are folk punk and nu metal! It’s like she’s discovering parts she lost in an attic! 

“Hey Luna! Is it okay if I go on break??” Katie calls to her friend.

“It’s about time you did! Go on!” Luna calls back.

“Be back in a few!” Katie calls and she walks out the door to take a walk and be alone with her thoughts. She’s enjoying everything new, but that said...

Katie misses the Aquabats very much. She knew that finding herself meant having to break from them, because she allowed herself to be meshed with them, but it doesn’t erase her longing for them. 

She misses the Commander’s loudness when he plays video games or gives orders. She misses exercising and being motivated by Ricky and watching him be Fitness (or Casanova, if you’re mainstream). She misses talking to Jimmy about science or horror. She misses watching movies with Crash. She misses listening to EagleBones’ guitar for most hours and simply being with him. She misses going on adventures with the Aquabats and going to their concerts. Luna’s been a great friend and boss and Katie’s really glad that she met her, but she misses the Aquabats. 

As she walks, Katie comes to the realization that she was never lost. She MISPLACED herself, and she had to find herself again. She merely felt lost due to her insecurities over not being as special as the Aquabats. That’s the core of her issues! She felt like she couldn’t match the Aquabats, and she realizes that, in her own way, she DOES. She may not be an Aquabat by birth or lab experiment but that’s okay. She realizes (DAY OF REALIZATIONS) she belongs with them. With the Aquabats, she’s found complete love and acceptance, and left to find it from herself! She sits against the wall of an alley, holding her head. “Oh my gosh,” she whispers, “I’ve been one smart fool this whole time! I need my Aquabats! Even if they don’t need me!” With those words, she runs off with the intention of finding her Aquabats.

Unknown to Katie, a few miles away, the Aquabats are coming to similar realizations. Katie long grew past being their assistant, and her absence nearly cracked the group, but it will be okay since they’re on their way to retrieve her! “We need our Katie!” the Aquabats say in unison. “Even if she doesn’t need us!” They’re driving to feed themselves, then to find their Katie.

(LOOK OUT! IT’S A DUEL MUSICAL INTERLUDE!)

“Now I know   
You’re my true north,  
Cause I am lost in the woods!  
Up is down, day is night,  
When you’re not there!” The group-the Aquabats, the Commander, Crash, Ricky, EagleBones, Jimmy, AND Katie-now realize how much they need each other. It doesn’t matter that Katie was hired, what matters is she’s family and her job means nothing, she’s family. The Aquabats aren’t just her employers anymore-they’re her family. 

“Oh, you’re my only landmark,  
So I’m lost in the woods!” In fearful times, you know you can always rely on your loved ones to be the thing you hold onto. For the Aquabats, and Katie, it’s each other. (And their wonderful fans of course, the Aquacadets!) As long as they’re together, it’s okay. 

“Wondering if you still care,  
But I’ll wait, for a sign  
That I’m your path,  
Cause you are mine!” Katie and the Aquabats belt out. They have reached the peak realization of their true meanings to one another, and the fact they need each other as much as one needs oxygen or the author of this piece needs music and Cotton Candy Blizzards from Dairy Queen. (FOURTH WALL BREAK!)

“Until then, I’m lost in the woods!”  
“Lost in the woods!” Katie stops walking and belts in the middle of the street. Consumed by song, she doesn’t notice the massive vehicle and it screeches to a stop, but not enough to prevent it from hitting her legs and knocking her flat onto her back.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Together again!

Jimmy screeches to a stop in the BattleTram, his robotic eyes going wide as everyone else in the vehicle either gasps (the Commander and EagleBones) or shrieks (Crash and Ricky).

“We just hit someone!” EagleBones cries, rushing to unbuckle his seatbelt, quickly followed by everyone else. The guitarist scrambles (EGG JOKE) out of the BattleTram with his family on his heels and goes to see who they hit. There’s a large mass of dark brown hair with violet-colored tips covering the person’s face. Always the helper-hero, EagleBones crouches down and gently takes the person’s upper arms. “I’m so sorry, are you okay? Can we take you to a hospital?”

“We don’t have medical insurance, EagleBones!” the Commander yells in a panic, earning him a death glare from EagleBones and a stern look of disapproval from Jimmy.

“EagleBones? Commander?” A very familiar voice says, and they whip back to the person. Hands push the thick, long hair out of the way, and they’re greeted by the surprised face of one Kaitlin Crush. 

“KATIE!” The Aquabats shout, and everyone breaks into massive grins. Since he’s nearest to her (and being the guy she secretly has romantic feelings for), Katie throws her arms around EagleBones’ neck and hugs him tight. He gladly reciprocates, hugging her in joy before remembering they HIT HER WITH THE BATTLETRAM, and breaks off the hug to check her for damage.

“Are you hurt, Katie? Any broken bones?” He looks her up and down, and is caught off-guard by her outfit and hair-dye. She looks different...and incredibly hot (not that she isn’t in her vintage, velvet outfits). Yet her glowing smile and firm headshake is all Katie, and he hugs her again when he helps her to her feet in joy and relief. He’s so happy to be with his friend/family (and the lady he’s got the hots for) again.

Katie would hug EagleBones forever, but she breaks off the hug to hug everyone else. “Hi everyone! I was just looking for you!” She exclaims, hugging Crash tightly and not caring he’s crying happy tears into her shirt. “I missed you so much!”

“We missed you, too!” the Commander grins happily. “We were just looking for you, too!”

Katie finally breaks away from Crash’s hug, but keeps her hand on his bicep, a mini assurance she’s really with them. “I thought I needed to find myself,” she says, “but I didn’t! I just needed to rediscover parts of myself, and the parts I misplaced, I misplaced by blaming my employment under you. But, you take me seriously and make me feel wanted and needed, and that’s family. You’re my family!”

The Aquabats all grin at her. “Katie,” the Commander begins, “I think I speak for everyone when I say that I have no idea what you just said. But you wanna come back? Not as our assistant but our family? An Aquabat?”

“YES!” Katie squeals, not caring that the Commander and Crash didn’t get what she said. “I WILL! OF COURSE!”

“What’s this?” They all turn to see Luna standing on the sidewalk, looking confused.

“Oh, hi, Luna!” Katie waves cheerfully. “These are my friends-oh, my family, the Aquabats! Everyone, this is my friend Luna. She’s helped me out a lot since I got here, and I worked at her restaurant.” 

“Oh that’s great! We’re starving!” the Commander grins, but an elbow to the ribs from Ricky forces him to remember his manners. “I mean, nice to meet you, Luna.”

“Same to you, Aquabats. I’ve heard a lot about you,” Luna smiles politely, turning to Katie. “Katie I noticed you said ‘worked’ at my restaurant, not ‘work’.”

“Oh, Luna, I’m really grateful for everything you’ve done for me, and you’re a great friend,” Katie smiles gently, going over to Luna and giving her a hug. “But, I’ve realized my true place is with them. The Aquabats. So, I can’t work for you anymore.”

Luna blinks. “Oh, that’s okay. Good for you, Katie.”

Katie blinks, but she smiles out of relieved surprise. “Really? Thank you.”

“Yeah, it’s okay. I’ve been given a lot of help in my life, and I want to do the same for others,” Luna smiles. “Just don’t be a stranger okay?” “I could never,” Katie promises. “You’re a dear friend and I love you, Luna.” She sticks out her pinky. “Friends forever?” Luna links her pinky with Katie’s. “I love you too, Katie. Friends forever.” “Aww,” the Aquabats coo. As the two share a hug, loud screeching is heard. A nearby building is toppled over, and everyone looks up to see a massive tiger-snake like monster spewing lava from its jaws! “Wah! It’s a gigantic tiger-snake monster spewing lava!” Crash cries out. “Get behind me, ladies!” Ricky insists, shielding Katie and Luna with his body. “My, what a gentleman,” Luna gasps in delight, and Ricky blushes at her. (Katie swears she sees hearts in their eyes.) “Aquabats! Let’s save this city from this lava monster!” The Commander commands, pointing at the monster. 

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” Katie grins, and everyone lets out an ‘aww’. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to think of loved ones/family as a sandwich. Each ingredient is awesome together but they're individual and can be eaten on their delicious own. Family isn't cake, where everything is baked into one admittedly delicious but uniform lump. Family is a sandwich. A delicious sandwich of love and family.


	6. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> EagleBones realizes how deep he's in for Katie.

“You need to be honest with Katie,” Jimmy says out of the blue the day after the Aquabats (plus Katie and Luna!) defeated the lava monster by luring it into the ocean, but not before it melted a couple of spots on the ‘Tram. Luna’s restaurant was kept safe, and she went back to feed some citizens affected by the monster but not before giving Ricky her phone number and a kiss on the cheek. They’re repairing it and staying on the beach. (Ricky hasn’t stopped grinning or blushing since.)

EagleBones stops buffing a spot and turns to Jimmy, confused. “Huh? What do you mean?”

“How you feel about her. You need to express your feelings truthfully,” Jimmy says as if he just told EagleBones it’s sunny outside. (It’s a pleasant 74 degrees, as a matter of fact.)

EagleBones flushes bright red. “W-what? I, I, well,” he stutters, unable to deny it, so he gives up, sighing. He can’t hide from Jimmy. “How did you know?”

Jimmy beams. “It’s obvious. To me, anyway. Don’t worry, friend, the Commander and Crash are completely unaware, and Ricky believes you’re far too self-centered for romantic affection.”

EagleBones snorts, relieved only Jimmy knows. “Why are you telling me to tell Katie?”

Jimmy smiles softly. “She’s a wonderful person,” he says, and EagleBones smiles, nodding in agreement. “Ever since she got here, you’ve been happier and better as a person. Not that you were ever a bad person. Your arrogance can be awful, though.”

EagleBones snorts again. “Thanks for that, Jimmy,” he says, looking over at Katie laughing at something Ricky just said. “She makes me really happy. But, I don’t want to ruin what we have or make it awkward. I don’t want her to get freaked out and make her leave for good!” A week without Katie was difficult. A lifetime without Katie? Impossible.

“Tell her,” Jimmy urges gently. “You have nothing to lose, EagleBones.” He didn’t divulge the fact of Katie’s mutual feelings for the guitarist, because it simply isn’t his place to tell him. It’s Katie’s, and he’ll have the same discussion with her, too, he’s sure. EagleBones bites his lip and looks down, and Jimmy puts his hand on his shoulder. “It’ll be alright.”

EagleBones smiles. “I know. Thanks, Jimmy.” Jimmy beams back and responds to Crash calling for him to help, getting up and leaving the guitarist on his own with his thoughts. He gazes at Katie, covered in grease and dirt from the work on the ‘Tram and smiling widely, and thinks she’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. Most beautiful thing in the world to him, Katie Crush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger...?! TUNE IN NEXT TIME!!


End file.
